Sentiment and Civility in Podcast Advertising

Perceptions often shape strategies, which can lead to making counterintuitive decisions - challenging conventional understanding of controversial content. Recent studies suggest this is particularly true in the context of podcasts. What advertisers might deem as questionable doesn't necessarily align with the actual sentiments of podcast listeners.

Take, for instance, the genre of true crime podcasts. In recent studies by Audacy and Acast, non-listeners associate True Crime with fear, podcast listeners view it as thought-provoking and stress-reducing. This positive association extends beyond true crime, with each genre evoking deeply held positive sentiments among its audience.

Surprisingly, when survey respondents were exposed to podcast clips with test advertisements, their perceptions of brands and hosts either remained unchanged or became more positive. This insight prompts a reevaluation of suitability strategies, emphasizing the need to align with the nuanced perspectives of podcast enthusiasts.

Recently, in a groundbreaking move, Seekr, an artificial intelligence company specializing in transparent content evaluation and generation, has unveiled Seekr Align. They tapped BSI to help them introduce the capability, along with Oxford Road, a podcast agency.

This leading-edge tool is poised to revolutionize the way brands approach podcast advertising by introducing a standard civility score on a 0 to 100 scale. Seekr Align, after months of beta testing, will provide marketers with a clear and specific explanation of why a podcast or individual episodes achieved a particular score. By employing AI and advanced training models, Seekr Align transcends simple word choice analysis, offering a deeper understanding of human communication.

The platform has already scored over eight million minutes of audio across hundreds of thousands of podcasts, with plans to expand this to ten times as many podcasts by the next year.

Seekr Align enables brands to manage at the podcast level, the episode level – and even segments within a podcast.  Music to the ears of marketers and agencies, unlocking new opportunities beyond the conventional focus on top shows.

In the ever-evolving landscape of podcasting and advertising overall, the integration of AI tools marks a transformative leap forward. Artificial Intelligence now armed with the power of Large Language Models, (LLM’s), and its ability to analyze vast datasets and decipher nuanced patterns in human communication, has become a game-changer in optimizing content delivery and enhancing audience engagement.

Within the podcasting realm, AI tools are reshaping the narrative by offering content creators insights into listener preferences, enabling the production of more personalized and resonant episodes. Moreover, in the advertising space, AI-driven solutions are revolutionizing brand safety and suitability.

By unlocking the potential of AI, the podcast and advertising industries are not only staying ahead of evolving trends but are also creating more meaningful and targeted connections between content creators, advertisers, and their audiences.